1. Field
This invention relates to devices that are positioned about a portion of the body for the purposes of applying thermal therapy and specifically to a device configured for positioning about any one of several different or multiple sites on or portions of the body and methods of applying the device at each site of the multiple sites on portions of the body and even more specifically to methods for applying thermal therapy with one apparatus adapted for use about each of the ankle, calf, knee, thigh, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, neck and torso.
2. State of the Art
A treating health care professional may request the patient apply thermal therapy to a portion of the body as part of a desired medical treatment. Thus, cold may be applied to reduce swelling or heat may be applied to assist in ameliorating the symptoms or conditions of other maladies. Devices for applying thermal therapy to a body portion such as a joint or muscle portion are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,402 (Grim, et al.) discloses a device in which a gel pack is positioned against a body part. The gel pack may be heated or cooled so that the desired therapy is applied as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,832 (Trapini) discloses another device for strapping a thermal therapy unit to a body portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,262 (Palmacci) discloses a device for attaching thermal therapy devices to a body portion in which VELCRO(copyright) type connectors are used to connect ends of a wrapping or securing structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,804 (Hill, et al.) shows a device with a pocket for a thermal pack.
Therapy wraps are shown with structure for attachment to a joint like a knee and along a body limb such as the leg or arm. U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,402 (Grim, et al.) shows use around the ankle, knee, and wrist. U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,262 (Palmacci) shows several different structures to hold a thermal device like an ice pack to limb joints and also a structure to hold a thermal device to the shoulder using elastic or stretchable material.
The disclosed devices in the art are formed to be used at one location or at locations on a limb but not at locations in addition to the limb such as about one of the neck, the shoulder and the torso including the lower back. A single device in which thermal therapy may be applied to locations on the limbs of a patient as well as to a shoulder, the neck and the torso including the lower back is desired and not known.
A wrap for applying thermal therapy to a patient has a therapy section with a pocket sized to receive and retain a thermal unit that functions as a reservoir of material at a desired temperature attained chemically or by heating or cooling as desired. The therapy section has a top, a bottom, a left side and a right side and is appropriately sized for positioning at several different sites on the body or about each of several selected body elements of a patient. Long connecting means are attached to the therapy section proximate either the top or the bottom. The long connecting means has a left section extending outwardly from the left side of the therapy section a first length and a right section extending outwardly from the right side of the therapy section a second length.
Long attaching means has a first attaching element attached to or formed with the left section of the long connecting means and a second attaching element attached to or formed with the right section of said long connecting means. The first and second attaching elements are operable for removably securing one to the other and for removably attaching the left section and the right section together to form an opening adjustable in size to receive a selected body element of a patient therein and for attaching said therapy section to and about the body element to cause thermal energy from the thermal unit to be applied to the body element.
Short connecting means is attached to the therapy section proximate the other of the top and the bottom of the therapy section. The short connecting means has a left section extending outwardly from the left side a third length and a right section extending outwardly from the right side a fourth length. The third length and the fourth length are selected so that the total length of the third and fourth lengths together is less than the total of the first length and the second length together. The short attaching means has a first attaching element attached to or formed with the left section of the short connecting means and a second attaching element attached to or formed with the right section of the short connecting means for removably attaching themselves together and in turn the left section and the right section of said short connecting means together to form an opening adjustable in size for positioning about the selected body element of a patient spaced from the long connecting means and for attaching the therapy section to the body element so that thermal therapy may be applied to the body element.
The therapy wrap also preferably includes a strap having a first end and a second end. Strap attaching means is positioned proximate the first end and the second end for removable connection to each other. The strap attaching means includes a first element and a second element for removable connection to each other or to one of the first element and the second element of the long attaching means or to one of the first element and the second element of the short attaching means to extend about a selected body element.
In preferred configurations of the wrap, the long connecting means and the short connecting means, and also desirably the strap, are formed from an elastically deformable material such as a closed-cell neoprene. The closed-cell neoprene is preferably laminated on its opposite surfaces with a polyester material that has a surface that will function as the pile portion of a hook and pile connector arrangement. In turn, the wrap is in effect infinitely adjustable. That is, the first attaching element and the second attaching element of both the long attaching means and the short attaching means as well as strap attaching means are the hook portion and the pile portion of a hook and pile connector arrangement in which the polyester material laminated to the closed-cell neoprene is VELCRO(copyright) compatible or a VELCRO(copyright) mate so that it functions as the pile portion.
In preferred configurations, the first length and the second length are selected to be equal and the third length and the forth length are also selected to be equal. The first and second length are selected so that the body wrap is sized to extend around the upper thigh and in turn will be of sufficient length to extend around other parts of the several limbs of a patient. The third length and the fourth length are selected to also extend about the thigh but at a point spaced from the first and second lengths and at a point where the circumference of the thigh is smaller. In turn, the third length and the fourth length will be of sufficient length to extend about other parts of the several limbs of a patient.
In specific arrangements, the thermal section of the wrap is rectilinear in shape or projection having a height selected to extend at least about half the length of a thigh or calf and a width to extend around at least about half the circumference of a thigh of a user. The pocket is formed by attaching an elastically deformable material such as LYCRA(copyright) to the therapy section. The pocket is sized to receive the thermal unit therein.
Methods of use of the wrap include first heating or cooling the thermal unit to a desired temperature and then positioning it in the pocket formed in the therapy section. The wrap is then positioned or wrapped about a selected portion, part or element of the body with the thermal unit in the pocket. The long connecting means and the short connecting means are positioned about the selected portion, part or element of the body. The respective first elements are positioned proximate the respective second elements of the long attaching means and the short attaching means and are thereafter urged together to effect a removable connection.
The strap may be positioned about the wrap when positioned on a limb. That is, the strap may be wound about the wrap snugly or in tension as a further means of attaching the wrap to the limbs of a user such as the ankle, calf, knee, thigh, lower arm, upper arm, elbow and upper thigh. In selected applications, the first end of the strap may be connected to the first element or the second element of the long connecting means or to the short connecting means. When the strap is attached to the long connecting means, the wrap may be positioned about the shoulder with the strap extending about the torso under the arm opposite the shoulder about which the wrap is placed. The short attaching means attach about the upper arm extending from the shoulder about which the wrap is placed.
Preferred methods include the selection of a wrap formed of an elastically deformable material and stretching the wrap about the portion of the body to which the wrap is to be applied.
The long connecting means and the short connecting means are each preferably made of an elastically deformable material and stretched about the body portion or element to tensionally secure the wrap thereto applying, in turn, not only thermal therapy but also compressive therapy.
Methods for positioning the wrap about the torso or trunk of a user include first positioning the left section and the right section of the long attaching means about the torso of a patient with the therapy section positioned against and about the torso at a desired location such as the lower back. The first attaching element and the second attaching element of the long attaching means are joined to one of the first attaching element and the second attaching element of the strap. The other of the first attaching element and the second attaching element of the long attaching means is then urged into connection with the other of the first attaching element or the second attaching element of the strap to snugly secure the therapy section to the torso. A second belt or strap which may be preferably the waist band or belt of a garment (e.g., the pants or trousers) of a user acts to hold by the short connecting means and the portions of the therapy section thereinbetween in place.
Methods of positioning the wrap about the neck involve folding the therapy section to fit about the neck of a patient, positioning the therapy section about the neck of a patient and wrapping the strap about the therapy section and the neck and attaching the first element of the strap attaching means and the second element of the strap attaching means to each other to secure the wrap in place.